Irish Examiner View: Time for debate on thorny issues of assisted dying and euthanasia

Assisted dying has been legal in Switzerland since the 1940s, while euthanasia is legal in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain. 

A medicine bottle at the Dignitas Clinic in Switzerland, which carries out assisted dying procedures. Picture: PA.

Much in the same way as we here in Ireland have a Citizens’ Assembly to discuss and consider important legal and policy reform matters, the French government is set to take the advice of a ‘citizens’ convention’ on one particularly thorny and controversial issue.

While various Irish iterations of such a body have considered such contentious matters as the repeal of the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution and gender equality, and will this year look into drug use, the one in France was asked to look at whether euthanasia or assisted dying should be permitted in the country.

The citizens’ convention in France voted in favour of legalising both euthanasia and assisted dying, and so president Emmanuel Macron this week instructed his government to further investigate the matter saying the country’s current system of support for end-of-life remains “ill-adapted to contemporary requirements”.

A 76% majority of the 184-person convention voted in favour of some form of assisted dying or euthanasia under certain conditions for those who wish to avail of it.

Assisted dying, where medical personnel furnish the means for someone to end their life but which is administered by the patient themselves, is allowed in a number of European countries. So too voluntary euthanasia, where a doctor plays an active role in ending someone’s life at their request.

Assisted dying has been legal in Switzerland since the 1940s, while the first legal case was recorded in Italy last year. Portugal is one of several EU countries considering adopting it. Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Spain.

There are many complex issues in the debates in those countries — such as Ireland — which have not yet adopted a position on either topic, but while nascent debates have taken place here, the time for a national debate here is nigh.